Delft, 12 January 2026 – Q*Bird, the Dutch leader in quantum secure communication and the world’s only commercial provider of Measurement-Device-Independent Quantum Key Distribution (MDI-QKD), is proud to announce the official signing of its EIC Accelerator 2025 grant.
Q*Bird’s NEXUS project, commissioned under the EIC Accelerator, will enhance MDI-QKD hardware size and efficiency, introduce next-generation optical modules and enable high-density user node deployments. It will also develop the orchestration layer required for multi-operator, multi-domain quantum networking, ensuring that Europe possesses an end-to-end sovereign capability spanning hardware, control systems and network-level intelligence. Under this programme, Q*Bird has secured €2.5 million in grant funding and €5 million in equity investment to accelerate the scale-up of its quantum secure network solutions.
With the EIC Accelerator, Q*Bird will expand its European production capacity and advance its broader roadmap spanning quantum security network orchestration, and components essential for a future federated quantum internet. The initiative will drive down QKD costs, increasing market growth and job creation, all while strengthening Europe’s digital sovereignty and strategic autonomy in secure communication technologies.
Selected from 959 applicants, Q*Bird is one of only 40 elite startups to receive this prestigious blended finance support and one of just four Dutch companies in this elite cohort. The programme, which began on 1 December 2025, backs deep-tech innovations that deliver transformative capabilities to the European market while reducing strategic dependencies in critical sectors.
This recognition comes amid a strong year for Dutch deep tech, with startups collectively raising €35.5 million in this round, contributing to the €299 million awarded across Europe. With this recognition, Q*Bird’s selection reinforces its leading role in quantum secure communications and its mission to bring next-generation, operational-ready MDI-QKD solutions to scale.
Q*Bird’s flagship products, the Falqon® Series, powered by MDI-QKD, are already deployed across strategic infrastructures including ports, telecom networks and national infrastructure operators. The programme will strengthen Europe’s quantum secure communication capabilities by expanding the deployment and industrial readiness of Q*Bird’s Falqon® QKD products designed for operational networks in critical infrastructure, telecom, defense and government environments.
CEO and Co-Founder, Dr. Ingrid Romijn emphasised that this marks an expansion of an already operating commercial technology. “Quantum secure communication is a foundational capability for Europe’s digital sovereignty. We are strengthening the backbone of Europe’s digital resilience. This programme allows us to scale at a rate that matches Europe’s urgency. With the EIC Accelerator, we will extend our technology from individual deployments to continental-scale infrastructures that define how Europe secures its most critical communication networks.”
Powering Europe’s transition to quantum-resilient infrastructure
This announcement comes at a critical time. Cyberattacks targeting governments, critical infrastructure and industrial supply chains continue to accelerate. As quantum computing progresses, traditional cryptography faces a systemic vulnerability. The threat is not theoretical, but strategically urgent.
Q*Bird’s Falqon® Series, powered by MDI-QKD, delivers intrinsic security that eliminates all detector-based vulnerabilities, which have long challenged other QKD designs. The technology’s hub-and-spoke, multi-node and multi-tenant architecture introduces the scalability required for quantum secure networks at national and cross-border levels.
Over the past years, Q*Bird has demonstrated this at scale:
- Port of Rotterdam – Europe’s largest port and logistical hub secured with quantum secure networking leveraging Q*Bird’s MDI-QKD technology.
- Madrid metropolitan network (UPM) – Spain’s first live, multi-node MDI quantum network.
- Benelux cross-border MDI-QKD link – The first cross-border MDI-QKD connection was deployed between Belgium and Luxembourg, enabling a secure 132 km quantum link.
- Eurofiber QUEST project – Deploying MDI-QKD across major Dutch data centres.
The EIC Accelerator programme will enable Q*Bird to take the next step of industrial-grade scale-up, expanding its product line, strengthening supply chains and accelerating integration into Europe’s critical digital infrastructure.
Q*Bird’s architecture is designed for environments where reliability and interoperability must be absolute, highlighted CTIO and Co-Founder, Remon. “Industry-grade security means, you cannot rely on assumptions about who or what can be trusted. MDI-QKD is built to scale and interoperate across multiple operators and network domains and secure,” he said. “With the EIC Accelerator, we can expand deployments efficiently, enabling secure, multi-operator networks while maintaining technical integrity and sovereignty. This is essential as Europe transitions to a quantum secure communication infrastructure that operates under real-world conditions.”
“Q*Bird is delivering operational quantum security at scale. Through the NEXUS project, Q*Bird is strengthening Europe’s ability to protect and secure critical infrastructure against emerging cyber and quantum threats. It ensures our digital networks remain sovereign, interoperable and resilient, establishing a new benchmark for Europe’s strategic autonomy in the quantum era,” adds Luuk Borg, Project Officer at the European Commission.
From deployed networks to large-scale quantum-secure networks
Q*Bird’s deployments in ports, cross-border fibre networks and telecom environments have demonstrated that MDI-QKD is fully operational and ready for large-scale deployment. The EIC Accelerator will support rapid growth in manufacturing capacity, network integration, quantum-network orchestration capabilities and the advancement of technologies that extend beyond QKD.
CTO and Co-Founder, Dr. Joshua Slater, noted that this expansion is tied to a broader vision. “This next phase is about scale, industrial scale. We are building not just secure links, but the communication fabric on which future quantum systems can run. MDI-QKD is our foundation, but the horizon extends to quantum network controllers, quantum-ready interconnect point and the components required for a federated quantum internet. With the EIC Accelerator, we can accelerate Europe’s shift from isolated pilots and deployments to a cohesive, quantum secure communication infrastructure which is reliable, interoperable and built for long-term strategic autonomy.”
Strengthening Europe’s strategic sovereignty in secure communication technologies
Q*Bird’s MDI-QKD technology enables network operators to secure communication networks against emerging quantum era threats while preparing infrastructure for future quantum-enabled applications across government, defence, telecoms, ports, energy and data-centre environments. This initiative will help ensure that Europe remains at the forefront of quantum secure communication, not only in research, but in operational infrastructure that protects society, industry and critical national assets. By building interoperable networks that span borders and operators, Q*Bird is laying the foundation for a Pan-European quantum secure ecosystem. One QKD node at a time, Q*Bird is not just building quantum secure networks. We are defining the blueprint for how nations will communicate safely and sovereignly in the post-quantum era!
Disclaimer:
This project is co-funded by the European Union.
Media Relations Contact:
Milu Sini Lal
Marketing & Communication Specialist
milu@q-bird.com
Note: Q*Bird rebranded as Falqon® Systems in September 2026.